第133章

12th)， we coasted along the island of Makian， which consists of a single grand volcano. It was now quiescent， but about two centuries ago (in 1646) there was a terrible eruption， which blew up the whole top of the mountain， leaving the truncated jagged summit and vast gloomy crater valley which at this time distinguished it. It was said to have been as lofty as Tidore before this catastrophe. [Soon after I' left the Archipelago， on the 29th of December， 1862， another eruption of this mountain suddenly took place， which caused great devastation in the island. All the villages and crops were destroyed， and numbers of the inhabitants killed. The sand and ashes fell so thick that the crops were partially destroyed fifty miles off， at Ternate， where it was so dark the following day that lamps had to be lighted at noon. For the position of this and the adjacent islands， see the map in Chapter XXXVII.]

I stayed some time at a place where I saw a new clearing on a very steep part of the mountain， and obtained a few interesting insects. In the evening we went on to the extreme southern point， to be ready to pass across the fifteen-mile strait to the island of Kaióa. At five the next morning we started， but the wind， which had hitherto been westerly， now got to the south and southwest， and we had to row almost all the way with a burning sun overhead. As we approached land a fine breeze sprang up， and we went along at a great pace； yet after an hour we were no nearer， and found we were in a violent current carrying us out to sea. At length we overcame it， and got on shore just as the sun set， having been exactly thirteen hours coming fifteen miles. We landed on a beach of hard coralline rock， with rugged cliffs of the same， resembling those of the Ke Islands (Chap. XXIX.) It was accompanied by a brilliancy and luxuriance of the vegetation， very like what I had observed at those islands， which so much pleased me that I resolved to stay a few days at the chief village， and see if their animal productions were correspondingly interesting. While searching for a secure anchorage for the night we again saw the comet， still apparently as brilliant as at first， but the tail had now risen to a higher angle.

October 14th.--All this day we coasted along the Kaióa Islands， which have much the appearance and outline of Ke on a small scale， with the addition of flat swampy tracts along shore， and outlying coral reefs. Contrary winds and currents had prevented our taking the proper course to the west of them， and we had to go by a circuitous route round the southern extremity of one island， often having to go far out to sea on account of coral reefs. On trying to pass a channel through one of these reefs we were grounded， and all had to get out into the water， which in this shallow strait had been so heated by the sun as to be disagreeably warm， and drag our vessel a considerable distance among weeds and sponges， corals and prickly corallines. It was late at night when we reached the little village harbour， and we were all pretty well knocked up by hard work， and having had nothing but very brackish water to drink all day-the best we could find at our last stopping-place. There was a house close to the shore， built for the use of the Resident of Ternate when he made his official visits， but now occupied by several native travelling merchants， among whom I found a place to sleep.

The next morning early I went to the village to find the "Kapala，" or head man. I informed him that I wanted to stay a few days in the house at the landing， and begged him to have it made ready for me. He was very civil， and came down at once to get it cleared， when we found that the traders had already left， on hearing that I required it. There were no doors to it， so Iobtained the loan of a couple of hurdles to keep out dogs and other animals. The land here was evidently sinking rapidly， as shown by the number of trees standing in salt water dead and dying. After breakfast I started for a walk to the forest-covered hill above the village， with a couple of boys as guides. It was exceedingly hot and dry， no rain having fallen for two months.

When we reached an elevation of about two hundred feet， the coralline rock which fringes the shore was succeeded by a hard crystalline rock， a kind of metamorphic sandstone. This would indicate flat there had been a recent elevation of more than two hundred feet， which had still more recently clanged into a movement of subsidence. The hill was very rugged， but among dry sticks and fallen trees I found some good insects， mostly of forms and species I was already acquainted with from Ternate and Gilolo. Finding no good paths I returned， and explored the lower ground eastward of the village， passing through a long range of plantain and tobacco grounds， encumbered with felled and burnt logs， on which I found quantities of beetles of the family Buprestidae of six different species， one of which was new to me.

I then reached a path in the swampy forest where I hoped to find some butterflies， but was disappointed. Being now pretty well exhausted by the intense heat， I thought it wise to return and reserve further exploration for the next day.

When I sat down in the afternoon to arrange my insects， the louse was surrounded by men， women， and children， lost in amazement at my unaccountable proceedings； and when， after pinning out the specimens， I proceeded to write the name of the place on small circular tickets， and attach one to each， even the old Kapala， the Mahometan priest， and some Malay traders could not repress signs of astonishment. If they had known a little more about the ways and opinions of white men， they would probably have looked upon me as a fool or a madman， but in their ignorance they accepted my operations as worthy of all respect， although utterly beyond their comprehension.